Come along with me, on a challenging exercise to condense and simplify information that is both highly technical -- and bizarre; the kind of stuff you just want to forget about, or think "can't happen here." Well, if CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Alliance is passed -- and that can happen this week -- it WILL happen here!

My professional background:

I'm a Homeopathic and Chinese Medical Physician, and nutritional therapies counselor. You will soon see why the nightmare spectre of Codex Alimentarius is a battle I must fight ... WE ALL MUST FIGHT! To the many who have told me over the years, "It can't happen here," (quite the popular refrain these days ...) take a look around at what else has happened to our Country and the rest of World ... in only the last few years!

Some political background:

Formed in 1962, Codex Alimentarius ("CODEX" for short) was initially set up as a joint program of the WHO (World Health Org) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its original mandate was to establish a "harmonized trade standard" to govern international sales of all food products all over the World, especially in Third World countries. In fact, "standards harmonization" quietly became a bureaucratic euphemism for establishing "one universal standard" for supplements World-wide -- enabling key mega-pharmaceutical companies to more efficiently (translate "more profitably") ultimately move in and control World-wide production and distribution of all critically needed health products.

Have your eyes glazed over yet?

This is where my brain usually cuts out -- and I'm someone who has been trying to get public attention on this subject for the past 10+ years!

Over the 43 years since the Codex Commission made its public debut, Big Pharma has completely taken over -- from campaign contributions for our politicians to insure THEIR policy, to questionable "better living through chemistry," pesticides for agriculture, growth hormones and antibiotic use in cattle and poultry, and toxic contamination of our environment. (Did you know that elimination of pharmaceutical medicines by the human body has brought about measurable environmental damages? Did you know that many farmers are "forced" to use pesticides on their crops -- because the seeds they buy have been pre-treated with pesticides, thus have been weakened and are unable to survive without continuing use of these harmful chemicals?)

Sadly, these cases are myriad -- with years of documentation. But, how very few make the Main Stream Media (MSM).

It takes large numbers of people dying, as in the Vioxx scandal, for something to actually change. Then, guess what? It's fine for these dangerous meds -- banned here -- to be quietly sold to Third World countries. This is also what happens with pesticides that are banned in the U.S., and is called "The Circle of Poison."

These atrocities are why I teach my patients -- and lecture to different audiences -- about the importance of each individual being well informed. Come on, guys: what is MORE important than your health?! It is easy to accomplish the basics. One only need buy a "Physician's Desk Reference" and medical dictionary to get started. The other priority is a close, working relationship with one's health care practitioner. Let me tell you, if it isn't a close relationship -- with YOUR participation and education -- it will NOT work!

So, let me explain to you what is at stake here -- in the short-term -- and why.

Jump ahead to a few days ago ....

The US got a wonderful "present" on July 4, 2005, in Rome, Italy, when Big Pharma won the major victory of having Step 8 of the International Codex Guidelines made "formal" by the Codex Alimentarious Commission. Translation: Codex Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplement guidelines are now OFFICIAL.

What does that mean?

Member countries of the European Union MUST abide by these rules.

What does this have to do with the US?

We are members of the World Trade Organization, and therefore (like the European countries -- above) we are also now governed by all its rules and regulations!!

How about a pointed example that John Hammell, of International Advocates for Health Freedom, cited in a recent interview? (By the way, I can knowingly say that, were it not for the near superhuman efforts of this one individual, over more than the past 10 years, you would NOT have the freedom of purchasing many current supplements in health food stores.)

The following quote from John paints a very insidious picture, indeed:

"An example of the WTO forcing our Congress to change a law happened just prior to the recent US Presidential election, when the WTO ruled that US Tariffs protecting our steel industry were illegal under International Law. We lost in a trade dispute over this, and the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body told Bush that unless Congress scrapped the tariff, they'd begin imposing trade sanctions -- beginning with Florida Citrus Growers...... [Gee -- guess where Bush needed votes?]"

I recommend that those of you interested in further clarification of the steadily deteriorating US political situation re CODEX, visit the CODEX History pages at this website. Just wrap your brain around Vitamin C capsules "over 225 mgs" being illegal!

If CAFTA passes, it will only be a matter of time ....

You (yeah, you ... reading this right now) MUST make sure this does NOT happen! Don't buy into the spin and phony reports coming out about the "ineffectiveness of so many supplements," including those with well-established track records!

The Washington Post said a few days ago that this could be as close as "... ONE vote in the House or Senate" to tip the CAFTA decision either way. That is why it is critical for you to take action, NOW!

You're all familiar by now with "outsourcing" -- the practice of doing business anywhere in the World where it is "cheapest?" Translation: US workers lose jobs to cheap, sometimes slave labor, countries! CAFTA will protect the rights of businesses in those situations, NOT the rights of the people who are suffering under severe economic conditions already! So, if domestic US businesses cannot compete with cheap foreign goods, we import more and our trade deficit soars.

The NAFTA (North American Free Trade alliance) has left our trade deficit with member countries 12 times bigger than BEFORE NAFTA. From $9 billion in 1993, it shot up to $111 billion last year!

Section 6 of CAFTA would require the US to form "a Sanitary Phytosanitary Measures Committee," to insure entering into a continuing process henceforth which will "harmonize" our US laws under the terms of the SPS Agreement in the World Trade Organization. In the World Trade Organization, SPS Agreement, Article 3 requires the US to harmonize our food safety laws (as in DSHEA - Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994) to Codex standards; in other words, such "standards" for food safety and vitamins and minerals are mandated by Codex -- no exceptions -- if CAFTA's passed. Period.